Flight control system for miniature aircraft



ug- 1l, 1942. F. Loi-Isis 2,292,705

FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM FOR MINIATURE AIRCRAFT A Filed Jlylo, 1941 A A rgj/ Patented Aug. 11, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Y l 2,292,705

FLIGHT coN'rnoI. SYSTEM Fon MINIATURE Fred Lohse', Cupcrtno,.Calif. v l Application July 1o, 1941, serial No. 401,242

'z claims. (01212-31) y This invention relates to a flight control system for miniature aircraft and lt is one object l of the invention to provide a system of thisrcharac ter wherein one o'r more miniature aircraft `"may be operated in predetermined path in order to ascertain and test their performance in flight, thisbeing eitheryfor amusement or for scientific testing of miniature planes built as scale" models of newly developed types of planes which it is proposed to adopt for commercial or military use if the models successfully pass tests to which they are subjected.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus by means of which the model planes may be caused to take off, then travel in an endless path, and finally landed upon the surface lfrom which they took off and come to a stop under approximately normal conditions.

Another object 'of the invention is to provide -tive speed, the arrangement being such that the aircraft will not interfere with each other and also permitting one aircraft to make a landing without interfering with another aircraft in flight.

parts as will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the specification and claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawingvwherein: y f

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view in top plan of the improved apparatus;

Figure 2 is a viw showing a portion of the apparatus in vertical section, the apparatus illustrated being for operating one aircraft; and

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 of -an apparatus for operating two aircrafts. Engine powered miniature aircraft are usually flown above a large fleld or airport. The procedure is to set the rudder of the airplane so that it will fly in a circle, to start the motor and s, set the flight timer, to let the plane take off and gain elevation until the flight timer stops the engine, and then to retrieve the airplane after it has glded down to a landing somewhere on the fleld. Almost all of the action takes place hundreds of feet fromthe operator of the airplane and, -fom interested spectators. of this distance the performanceis not as spectacular as it would be if the airplane performed I within, say, ve to fifty feet of the observer.

My invention makes it possible to let a miniature engine powered airplane take off directly before the spectator, to keep it flying in a closed path such as a circle, to increase and decrease its I altitude at will, and to land the plane directly Y wishes to do so.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this character which is :simple in construction, easy to"I operate and very entertaining to spectators as welles instructive when used for scientic tests of scale models of aircraft. I i y Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which may be used for advertising purposes or for playing games of chance wherein the aircraft has its motor shut off while flying over a circular path divided into sections upon one of which the aircraft stops after landing.

Still another object of the invention residesin providing a device which is simple and durable in construction, inexpensiveto manufacture and one which will be very efficient in operation and application to use. .f

With these and numerous my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination andy arrangement of other objectsin view,

before the spectator Whenever the operator achieved in a simple and positive manner. yTher miniature airplane is flown within a short distance of the spectator, and its landing can be easily and positively controlled. Exactscale models, which are not successful flyers asa rule,

can be flown with-confidence by this method.` Proportionally-powered exact-scale models can l be flown to demonstrate differences in perform- In the accompanying drawing, the numeral IV Because f Complete control of altitude isv indicates a field or surface representing or actually constituting a portion of a fiying field over which a miniature aircraft 2 is to be fiown for testing purposes or for educational or amusement purposes, it being also understood that the apparatus may constitute an advertising device displayed in a show window or the like to attract attention to a store or a particular product. A standard 3 is mounted vertically at the centerof the fleld or surface I and while the standard is preferably of tubular formation, as shown in Figure 2, it is to be understood that it may be solid. At its lower end the standard is mounted upon a hollow base 4 of suiiicient dimensions to support the standard upright when fixed to the field or surface I or merely resting thereon. It will be understood that a portion of theL base may be embedded in the ground of an outdoor fleld.

About the Istandard 3 is mounted a disc or collar 5 which may be formed of any suitable material and fits loosely about the standard so that it may be shifted vertically to adjusted positions. This collar is formed with a circumferentially extending groove 6 in its marginal edge face and in this groove is seated a ring 1 formed at one point about its circumference with an opening 8 so that a line or flexible mounting member 9 may be tied through the opening and connect the inner end of the line with the ring. The line 9 may be formed of cord, wire, chains or other suitable material and is of such length that the miniature aircraft at the outer end of this line will be disposed over the fiying field or surface I. In the present illustration the aircraft is in the form of an airplane having wings I0 projecting from opposite sides of its fuselage, the line 9 being tied through the tip of the wing projecting from the inner side of the fuselage, but it is to be understood that any other type of aircraft may be substituted in place of the airplane. This aircraft will be equipped with a motor for driving the same and there will also be suitable control means for the motor, includ-` ing an actuating lever II carried by the outer wing and projecting longitudinally of this wing from the outer end or tip thereof. l

During operation of the apparatus it is desired to lose altitude until it reaches a position close to the flying field or surface I.

After the aircraft has been brought downwardly to a lpoint where it can glide to a landing, the power unit or motor for the aircraft is to be shut ofi. In order to do so, there has been provided an abutment which is movable radially of the landing field lnto and out of position for engagement by the lever II and thus cause the lever to be moved in a direction to shut off the motor.

. In the present illustration. this abutment consists of a carriage I8 mounted for movement along a supporting track or rail I9. The track is moved toward the inner end of the track to a to have the aircraft attain a predetermined altitude. In order to do so th'e disc or collar 5 is formed with a threaded opening I2 through which passes a threaded shaft I3. This shaft I3 extends vertically in spaced parallel relation to the standard 3 at one side thereof. Referring lin particular to Figure 2 it will be seen'that the lower end portion of the threaded shaft is rotatably mounted through an opening I4 formed in the top wall of the base 4, the lower end of the thread for this shaft having engagement with the upper face of the top wall and an abutment ange I5 having engagement with the under face of the top wall of the base'. Thelower end of the threaded shaft extends downwardly into the base and carries a drum I 6 about which is trained a belt or cable I'I. This belt or cable I'I extends radially of the landing field or surface I in countersunk relation thereto where it will be out of the way and properly passes through a tube or pipe which extends from the base lto a point beyond the marginal edge of the landing eld.

opposite direction, the aircraft will be caused position close to the marginal edge of the flying field, the lever I I of a low flying aircraft will strike the upstanding abutment pin 20 and thus will cause the lever to be moved in a direction to shut off the motor, Thus aircraft will then glide to a landing upon the field or surface I and come to a stop. If ahydroplane is being used in place of a land plane, the standard will be mounted at the center of a tank of suitable dimen'sions and the aircraft will land upon the surface of the water. It will also be obvious that the apparatus may be employed as a game apparatus in which case the surface i may be divided into radially extending sections and the sections will be suitably marked for identification purposes or for scoring values. In such a device, the scoring value or identifying marks of the section upon which the wheels rest when the aircraft comes to a stop will be noted by the players.

In Figure 3 there has been shown an embodiment ofthe inventionwherein two airplanes or equivalent aircraft 2I and 22 are to be simultaneously down. 'I'he .base 4a of the standard 3 is of somewhat larger dimensions than the base 4 and there have been provided two threaded shafts 23 and 24 spaced from the standard and having their upper ends journalled through a bearing plate 25 carried by the upper end of the standard and their lower ends rotatably mounted through openings formed in the top wall of the base. These adjusting shafts 23 and 24 pass through threaded openings'26 and 21 formed in the discs or collars 28 and 29 which correspond to the collar 5 and are shiftable vertically along the standard. The shafts 23 and 24 also pass freely through unthreaded openings`30 and 3| formed in the collars and it will be readily seen that when either of the threaded shafts is rotated, the collar with which it has threaded engagement will be shifted vertically but the other collar will remain stationary. Rings 32 and 33', corresponding to the ring 8, are rotatably carried by the collars 28 and 29 and the airplanes 2| and 22 are connected with the rings 32 and 33 by lines or flexible mounting members 35 and 34 having their inner ends tied or otherwise secured to the rings and their outer ends tied to the tips of the airplane wings. The two lines are 0f such length that the airplane 22 operates outwardly of the aircraft 2l and when these airplanes are in flight the inner airplane 2I may fly in a circular path about the standard but it must fly at tending into housings 36 and 31 where they will f have geared connections with suitablemotors controlledvfrom a switch box 38. vThis switch box has suitable switches therein which are individually connected with the motors by conductors 39. Therefore, the motors may be individually operatedand the altitude attainedby the two airplanes individually controlled. The airplane 2l lands directly upon the landing neld or surface I but the airplane 22 lands upon a raised surface 40 extending in a circular path about the surface I. This surface 40 `is at such a height that there will be'no interference between the two airplanes when a landing is made. Actuating levers 4I and 42 for controlling the motors of the two airplanes project outwardly from their wings and abutment means which are similar to the abutment means for engagement by the lever H are provided for engagement by these levers. These abutment members, which are indicated in general by the numeral 43, are slidably mounted for movement radially of the landing field and the path 40 and when they are shifted inwardly to an operative position, they will engage the levers 4| and 42 and cause the motors to be shut off. The airplanes will then fly to a landing.

It will thus be seen that two airplanes may be simultaneously nown for comparative tests. While only two airplanes have been shown in Figure 3, it willbe obvious that additional airplanes and companion landing surfaces could be provided and each airplane connected with the ring of a collar loosely mounted about the standard and controlled by a threaded shaft which passes freely throughall of the other collars.

From the foregoing description of the construction of my night control system for miniature aircrafty the operation thereof will be readily understood. It will be seen that I have provided a simple, inexpensive and lefficient means for carrying out the objects of the invention, and

- while I have particularly described the elements best'adapted to perform the functions set forth,

it is obvious that various changes in form, proportion and in the minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or sacrincing any of the principles of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. In an apparatus of the character described, a vertical standard, a miniature aircraft, a mounting'member connected with a wing at one side of the aircraft and mounting the aircraft for movement in an endless path aboutv the standard, a control for a power unit of the aircraft extending from the wing at the other side of the aircraft, and means movable into and out of position for engagement by the control to actuate the control and shut off the driving unit while the aircraft is in night and causethe aircraft toland upon a surface over which it moves while in night,

2, In an apparatus of the character described, a vertical standard, a miniature aircraft having a fuselage and wings projecting from opposite sides thereof, a collar about the standard shiftable vertically thereon,.a ring rotatable about the of one wing of the aircraft to mount the aircraft forv movement in an endless path about the standard, a control for a motor for the aircraft extending outwardlyfrom the tip of the other wing of the aircraft, means for `shifting the collar ver-` tically along the standard to control altitude of 1 the aircraft, and manually operated means mov-- for turning the shaft to shift the collar vertically along the standard and support the collar in a vertically adjusted position, a ring rotatable about the collar, a miniature aircraft having wings projecting fromV its opposite sides, a line connecting the tip of one wing with said ring and causing the aircraft to move in an endless path about the standard when in night, the aircraft having a motor and means forcontrolling operation of the motor including a lever mounted at the outer end of the other wing and proj ecting outwardly therefrom, and an abutment movable into and out of positionfor engagement by the lever to actuate the lever and render the motor inoperative while the .aircraft is in night and thereby cause the aircraft to make a landing upon a field surroundcollar, a line connecting said ring with the tip ing the standard.

4. In an apparatus of the character-described, a vertical standard, a base for the standard, a collar fitting loosely about the standard and formed with a threaded opening, a. ring rotatable about thecollar, a threaded shaft extending vertically and having its lower end rotatably supported by the base, said shaft being threaded through the threaded opening of the collar and when turned serving to vertically adjust the collar along the standard and support the collar in a vertically adjusted position, means for rotating the shaft to adjust the position of the collar, an aircraft, a line connecting the aircraft with said ring and mounting the aircraft for movement in an endless path about the collar when in night, and means to shut off the driving motor of the aircraft in night and thus cause the aircraft to glide to a landing.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a vertical standard, a base for the standard, collars fitting loosely about the standard one above another and shiftable vertically along the standard, threaded shafts rotatably mounted in parallel spaced relation to the standard and threaded through the collars, means to individually rotate the shafts and individually shift the collars vertically to adjusted positions, concentric landing surfaces surrounding the standard, aircrafts movable alongl thesaid surfaces when grounded, lines connecting the aircraftwith the rings of companion collars, and causing the aircrafts to move in endless paths aboutl thc standard when in night, and means for selectively and individually shutting on motors of the aircrafts while in night and vcausing the aircrafts to land upon the landing surfaces.

6. In an apparatus of the character described,

a miniature aircraft, a vertical standard, a collar about the standard shiftable vertically thereon, a

ring rotatable about the said collar, a mounting member connected to said ring and to a wing of standard, a vcollar about the standard shiftable 10 vertically thereon,y a ring rotatable about said collar, a lflexible member connected to said ring and to said aircraft for mounting said aircraft for movement in an endless path about the standard, and means for rendering the driving unit for the aircraft inoperative while the aircraft is in ight y and thereby causing the aircraft to come to a landing upon a surface over which the aircraft moves while in night.

FRED LOHSE. 

